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Frustration. Annoyance. Feeling like a complete idiot.
Those were the only thoughts rattling around in Izuku Midoriya’s head as he trudged through a snow-covered field, the wind picking up around him in slow, biting drafts. He was in the middle of nowhere, with no real idea how far he’d wandered or where he stood in relation to everyone else.
Class 3-A had decided on a senior trip to Hokkaido—a winter wonderland, beautiful and serene, so different from the mainland.
That morning had started with excitement and joy. He remembered the thrill of seeing the world blanketed in snow, the flakes drifting down like something out of a dream. He’d even told himself that going out for a run on the track sounded like a great idea.
Now, hours later, the only thing running was his regret.
He muttered something under his breath, the weight of disappointment heavy on his shoulders as he stared down at the thick snow beneath his boots. The cold gnawed at him. This was not ideal—not by a long shot.
Izuku’s eyes swept the terrain, instinct kicking in. He shifted into survival mode, scanning for anything useful: shelter, terrain markers, even a patch of woods—anything that could help him conserve heat or serve as protection from the worsening weather. Every extra step cost him energy, and the colder he got, the harder it would be to keep going.
Then—a sound.
Footsteps. Crunching steadily in the snow.
He turned quickly, his breath fogging the air—and saw her.
Momo.
She was waving, relief written across her face.
“Seems I found someone,” she called, raising her arms a little higher. “Looks like we both made some very questionable choices this morning, huh?”
Izuku let out a short laugh. “Yeah… no argument here. We need to find shelter. I think I remember seeing a map earlier—there might be caves nearby. That’s gotta be better than aimlessly wandering and hoping to bump into the hotel.”
Momo stepped closer, already holding a compass, a half-smile tugging at her lips. She looked tired, but composed—classic Yaoyorozu.
“I was hoping I’d run into someone. The hotel’s about four miles that way,” she said, nodding. “But with how the snow’s picking up, trying to hike that far could get dangerous real fast.”
She adjusted the compass slightly in her gloved hands. “I think I saw the caves marked about four hundred yards to the north. If I’ve got my bearings right, I can get us there.”
“Yeah, they definitely beat being buried in the open,” Izuku said, trudging through the thick snow toward her. “At this rate, I wouldn’t be surprised if it got up to our waists—or even our chests—in a few hours.”
Every step was a slog. The snow made walking far more of a workout than he’d expected. He’d never had to deal with this kind of depth before, and it sapped his strength faster than he liked.
As he moved, something caught his eye—tree branches poking through the white. He paused, picked a few up, and slung them over his shoulder. They weren’t much, but each one could be useful later: for warmth, shelter, maybe even markers.
Luckily, neither he nor Momo had been foolish enough to head out unprepared. Both wore heavy coats, thermal pants, and sturdy boots. His backpack—thankfully light—held water bottles, a few protein bars, and a bag of trail mix. It wasn’t much, but enough to keep him going if they had to stop and rest.
“Never saw this coming, huh?” he said, flashing a sheepish grin as they started walking together. “Stuck in the snow on our senior trip? Not exactly how I pictured today going.”
Momo exhaled a quiet laugh, brushing snowflakes off her hood. “No, I can’t say I did either. It wasn’t supposed to get this bad. Forecast said the snow would let up by eight... and now it’s noon, and it's still coming down hard.”
She glanced up at the sky, lips pressed together. “I think the weatherman might’ve been a little off.”
“Well, I think I could leave a strongly worded complaint,” Izuku said with a wry smile, “but I guess that’s just the nature of... well, nature.”
The cave was barely visible even from a few hundred yards out, a dark shape against the endless white. He kept pushing forward, every step heavier than the last.
“So, once we get inside, we need to move quickly,” Momo said, her tone thoughtful but unsure. “I’m not sure building a fire is the best idea. If there’s no ventilation, the smoke could choke us out. So maybe… maybe we just hold out, conserve body heat, stay low…”
She trailed off, her confidence faltering as she mentally ran through options, second-guessed them, then dismissed them entirely.
Izuku noticed the concern in her expression and reached over, gently patting her back. “I’m glad I ended up with you,” he said softly. “We’ll figure it out. You’re amazing, Momo. Smart. You always come through.”
He meant it. Part of him wished he still had One for All—wished he could just do something, power through this like he used to. But that wasn’t him anymore. He was just Izuku Midoriya—eighteen, in good shape, and trying his best like anyone else.
“I grabbed these sticks,” he said, lifting them slightly. “Maybe we can build something with them. Or at least use them somehow. I don’t remember everything those survival books said, but... I figured they might help.”
He looked ahead, then added with a hopeful shrug, “I don’t think we’ll be out here too long. Someone’s bound to notice we’re missing soon.”
“Let’s hope,” Momo replied quietly. “But this park is massive, and we both went pretty far off the main trail…”
Despite her calm tone, Izuku could still hear the worry beneath it.
They reached the mouth of the cave, stepping inside together. It was wide and tall, with enough depth to keep them out of the wind. The air was cold, but still. Silent, except for the gusts sweeping across the opening—snow hissing softly as it was driven against stone.
The two sat inside the cave, backs to the wall as the snow piled up outside the entrance—almost five feet high now. The wind howled just beyond the cave mouth, but inside it was eerily still, the cold seeping through even their heavy clothes.
Izuku shifted a little closer to Momo, rubbing his hands together. “So... I read somewhere that talking helps keep your mind off the bad stuff. Helps you stay alert, focused. Keeps the cold from getting to you, too,” he said, voice low and a bit unsure. “So, uh... after graduation—what’s your plan? You thinking of being a sidekick for someone like Uwabami? Or are you gonna start your own agency?”
He glanced over, catching the slight shiver in her shoulders. Without a word, he slipped an arm around her waist, gently pulling her closer to share body heat.
“I plan to start my own agency,” Momo said, her voice firm despite the cold. Determination lit her eyes. “I want to be a full-fledged hero. Not just a pretty face.”
She paused, then added with a sharper edge, “I don’t want to be used as some poster girl, some image for whatever those above me want to sell. I want to help people. Really help them.”
Izuku smiled softly, moved by her conviction. He gave her back a reassuring pat.
“I always thought you were super cool,” he said, a little nervous but genuine. “And definitely way more than just a pretty face. Not that you’re not... I mean—uh—you are, but—”
He caught himself, then just laughed softly. “You know what I mean.”
Momo smiled at that, her shoulders relaxing just a little.
Izuku opened his bag, pulling out a small bottle of water and some trail mix. “I, uh... I don’t really know what I’m going to do,” he admitted, trying to keep his voice light. “Can’t be a hero anymore, so I guess I’ll end up with a normal nine-to-five. Desk job. Something practical.”
He kept his tone even, but the edge of sadness in his words was hard to miss.
Momo caught the shift in his tone too.
Without hesitation, she reached out, gently pressing her fingertips to his chin and turning his face toward hers. Her expression was steady, almost fierce.
“Why give up your dream?” she asked plainly. “You’re graduating from UA’s Class 3-A—the hero class. So what if you don’t have your quirk anymore? Weren’t you always supposed to be more than just that quirk?”
Her eyes didn’t waver as she spoke.
“I get it. Your quirk was powerful, and losing it… yeah, that sucks. But that isn’t the end of the world—or the end of your future. You’re smart. You’re crafty. You know how to throw a punch and take one, and you care about people more than most heroes I’ve met. That means something.”
She leaned in slightly, her tone rising with conviction.
“And it’s not like people without quirks were ever completely hopeless. Remember when we covered vigilantism in class? Iwao Oguro—he took down full-fledged villains without a quirk at all. He was just a tough old man with experience and guts.”
She paused, softening just a little. “You’re not old, but you do know how to fight. You could still be a hero—maybe not on the frontlines, but in ways that matter. Support work. Rescue. Training. Strategy. There are so many ways you can help.”
Her voice dropped low, steady with emotion.
“I’m not going to let you give up on your dream, Izuku Midoriya.”
Izuku was taken aback by her bold words.
They hit like a slap—but one he needed.
“That’s... great and all,” he said quietly, the doubt still tugging at him, “but who do you think would even take me in? What agency wants a hero without any powers?”
The cold air seeped deeper into the cave, and he felt it in his bones.
“Momo,” he added, shifting gears, “you should eat the snacks. Mine and yours. Your quirk needs fuel, right? If you use up your energy, you won’t be able to make anything. But if you eat now, maybe you can create something useful. A heater, a blanket, anything to help us hold out until rescue.”
Momo looked at him for a long moment before shaking her head, a soft smile tugging at her lips. He was incredible—and not just to people like Bakugo or Ochaco. He was inspiring to her, too.
His ability to keep pushing forward, even without a quirk... even when he broke bones and still got back up—that resilience had quietly amazed her for a long time. Maybe even made her heart race a little more than she wanted to admit.
“Well,” she said, smiling more fully, “then join my agency.”
That made him blink.
“I mean it,” she continued, her voice steady but warm. “If I’m starting my own, I want someone I trust at my side. Someone who already knows how to cover my weak spots—and I know how to cover yours. We'd make a great team.”
She took the trail mix from his hand and started eating, not hesitating now.
“You’re right,” she said between bites. “With enough calories, I can create a thick thermal blanket. It should help us conserve heat, at least until the snow slows down or help finds us.”
Then, a small blush crept into her cheeks.
“But, um... I’ll need to undress a little to make it. The material needs contact with my skin to form properly. So… when I do, could you please—um—look away?”
Her confidence gave way to quiet embarrassment in that final sentence, her voice softer now.
“Okay,” He said as he looked over at her, “I will,” he added with a smile as he looked at her, watching her eat the food devouring it. There was something rather endearing about her, something cool, and he felt his face turn slightly red as he turned towards the wall.
“Whenever your ready go ahead,” he said, closing his eyes as he put his hands over them as well.
Hearing his words, Momo began slipping out of her heavy coat, fingers trembling slightly from the cold. As she moved, her thoughts drifted to what he’d said. Somehow, she was sure he meant it—that he’d join her agency someday. Not just to be nice. She smiled softly, warmth flickering through her chilled body.
The idea of working alongside him… learning together, growing together… it was something she wished she’d done more of already.
And, though she’d never admit it out loud, a small part of her almost hoped he’d sneak a look—not for any pervy reason—but just to know he was into her. That he saw her the way she maybe saw him.
But she pushed the thought aside, focused her energy, and activated her Quirk. A thick, insulated blanket began forming, the material wrapping around her shoulders as she concentrated on making it as dense and protective as possible. Once it was finished, she grabbed her shirt, pulled it back on quickly, and threw her large coat over everything again—wasting no time or movement. No sense inviting more cold or awkwardness than needed.
“Izuku,” she said, her voice firm again, “drink some water before it freezes completely. Just to be safe.”
She opened one of the bottles they had stashed—still protected, but already gathering frost at the edges. The insulation would only hold off the freezing temperatures for so long. Dehydration was just as dangerous as the cold.
Still facing away out of respect, Izuku nodded. He reached into his bag, pulled out his own water bottle, and unscrewed the cap. The liquid inside had already started turning to slush. He took slow, steady sips, letting the cold water trickle down, his eyes never straying from the rocky wall of the cave.
She took a long drink from her own water bottle too. She started to think about the best way to get some water, but that would come later, and hopefully they were found by then. “Izuku, you can turn, I am dressed,” she said as she looked outside for a moment the cave about sixty percent blocked by snow.
“Now for this to work, we are going to have to get close, I mean super close,” she informed him. The warmth of our clothes and the blanket might help a lot but our combined body heat. She paused as she realized a mistake, “oh wait,” she said putting the blanket aside. She remembered in the survival book that if the snow on their coats and pants was going to melt under the blanket, that wouldn’t be good. “Izuku anything covered with snow off,” she said as she had to create another blanket, a secondary one to make sure they were warm. She had to go plus ultra.
Izuku blinked surprised but didn’t question her judgement even for a moment as he unzipped his coat tossing it aside as it was very much caked with snow and his pants were far worse as walking through the snow had made them wet as well already.
Momo grabbed the last bit of snacks before undressing again and going to use her power to create the second blanket.
Momo finished creating the second blanket, but the toll hit her instantly. Her legs buckled, and she fell backward—luckily landing on the blanket as it settled beneath her.
Seeing her collapse, Izuku acted without hesitation. He quickly kicked off his boots, yanked off his wet socks and snow-soaked pants, and tossed them aside. He didn’t spare a thought for Momo’s current state of dress—his focus was entirely on her wellbeing.
He grabbed the thick new blanket and threw it over her, then slipped under it himself. Moving quickly, he pulled her gently but firmly against his body, wrapping the blanket tightly around them both.
Her body pressed lightly into his, and despite everything—the closeness, the warmth, the awareness of skin and breath—he forced his thoughts to stay focused. Survival first.
He was hyper-aware of where his hands landed, careful not to shift too suddenly or make her uncomfortable. But in that moment, what mattered most was heat, contact, and keeping Momo safe.
“Izuku Midoriya,” Momo said softly, her eyes fluttering open. She took a deep breath beneath the warmth of the blanket, acutely aware of his hand resting against her stomach. Her cheeks flushed—he couldn’t see her expression in the dark, but she was very aware of her own state of undress.
Still… she felt warmth. Not just from his body, but from the way he’d moved so fast to help her. She wanted to believe it was because she was special to him, but she couldn't be sure.
“You’re amazing,” she murmured, nuzzling her back gently against his chest. The old shirt he wore brushed her skin, and his steady warmth wrapped around her like a second blanket.
“Izuku… I like you. A lot. I think… after this, I might’ve fallen for you.”
Izuku shifted slightly, adjusting to make sure nothing was awkward under the blanket—until her words stopped him cold.
He blinked, heart thudding. “S-Seriously? Me? I figured you’d be more into someone like Todoroki…”
He fumbled for the edge of the blanket with one hand, tightening it around them, while the other stayed gently around her.
“Not at all,” Momo said honestly, her voice calm. “Todoroki and I are friends, nothing more. He’s great, but I don’t like him like that. We understand each other, sure, but that doesn’t mean I want to be with him.”
She hesitated, then added, “I like the brave guy who always does his best for others, even when it costs him everything. Someone who never asks for praise, who just does the right thing. Like All Might. Like you.”
Her voice dropped to a low mumble, just loud enough for him to hear.
“I know you’ve been stuck on Ochaco, right?”
Izuku was quiet for a moment. Then, softly, “No. She’s… she’s my hero. My inspiration. I admire how she always tries to help people, and how kind she is, yeah. But no—every time we hang out, I just feel like… we’re always going to be just friends. Like you said, kind of like you and Todoroki.”
He paused, thinking more clearly than he had in a while.
“Maybe it’s this moment. Maybe it’s what I’ve learned going through this. But… Momo, I think I’m finally seeing that you’re the kind of person my heart could actually yearn for. Not Ochaco.”
“Then you better join my agency, Deku,” Momo said—her voice weak but still laced with determination. “Because once I have your heart… I’m never letting it go.”
Izuku flushed, the heat rising to his cheeks, but a soft smile tugged at his lips.
“Good,” he said quietly. “Then the future’s figured out—and we can start working toward it together.”
The next morning—after being rescued by Bakugo and Iida—Izuku found himself exactly where he wanted to be: snuggled up under warm blankets, Momo still resting peacefully in his arms.
Technically, it wasn’t supposed to happen. But sometime during the night, he’d quietly slipped into her room, blanket in hand, and curled up beside her. After everything they’d been through, sleeping apart had just felt… wrong. Unnatural.
He could still picture the expressions on Bakugo and Iida’s faces when they first found the two of them huddled together in the cave. Iida had practically malfunctioned, sputtering about protocol, modesty, and emergency response regulations. Bakugo, of course, had just yelled—for reasons even he probably couldn’t fully explain. It was in his nature.
Both of them had given Izuku and Momo an earful afterward. But even then, none of it really stuck.
Because now—here, like this—it felt right. Her weight against his chest, her steady breathing, the softness of her hair brushing his collarbone. It was comforting in a way he hadn’t known he needed until he finally had it.
It felt like something missing had finally slid into place.